


Magnolia Martinsson and The Meltdown at Margie's

by missdibley



Series: Martinsson & Daughter [2]
Category: Magnus Martinsson - Fandom, Tom Hiddleston - Fandom, Wallander (UK TV), Wallander - All Media Types
Genre: Chicago, Family, Gen, Mystery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-12
Updated: 2015-06-12
Packaged: 2018-04-04 01:34:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,759
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4121407
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/missdibley/pseuds/missdibley
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Once upon a time, a handsome prince with hair like golden fleece traveled to a far away place called The Windy City. He had been sent on a quest by his father the king to find the most delicious thing in the land and bring it back to the kingdom of Sweden.”</p><p>“Sweden! That’s where Papa’s from.”</p><p>“Yes, darling. It is. The prince tried many things. He ate a slice of pizza, and it was so delicious! But it upset his tummy. He tried Garrett’s Popcorn, which he loved because it was salty and sweet. But eating a big bag of it made him toot.”</p><p>“Toot! You said toot!” Maggy howled with glee, and Halla laughed with her.</p><p>“Yes, I did say ‘toot’. Because it made him toot. And it still does.” Halla giggled before continuing the story.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Magnolia Martinsson and The Meltdown at Margie's

“Mawm! Hurry!”

Magnolia Martinsson was hopping up and down the front porch of the house on the corner of Shakespeare and Oakley. She stopped to press her nose up to the screen door so she could peek inside.

Her mother Halla Roque stood in the living room, holding a pair of sneakers in her hand. “Yes, yes, yes, my little sugarplum. I’m coming. Just… I need to find my keys.” She frowned, then smiled as soon when she dug her hand into her skirt pocket, finding them under her phone.

She looked down to find Moomin at her feet, licking her bare ankles. “I’m sorry, love, but we’ll have to do your W-A-L-K later. Go lie down, sir.” The wire fox terrier whined then trotted to the far side of the living room to curl up in his bed.

Halla stepped outside, closing and locking the door behind her. She gave the screen door a gentle kick with her bare foot. “Maggy, careful. I don’t want you tumbling down the stairs, okay?”

“But tumbling is fun, isn’t it Mama?” Maggy stopped to catch her breath.

“It is but…” Halla plopped down on the top step and began to tug on her shoes. She whined when they proved difficult. “What? These Keds fit just last week.” She wiggled her toes and give the shoes a final pull. “Finally!”

“Tumbling, Mama.” Maggy sat on the step next to her mother. “It’s fun, right?”

“Yes, but tumbling down stairs is probably best left to professional tumblers.”

Maggy perked up. “Like clowns or dancers? Acrobats?” She danced down the stairs, her mother close behind, to start the short walk to Arturo’s Tacos.

Tuesday night supper was always at [Arturo’s](http://www.arturos-tacos.com/), where Maggy would get chicken _flautas_ and a large horchata that she needed help finishing. Afterwards, they’d cross Armitage Avenue and then Western to [Margie’s](http://www.margiesfinecandies.com/) to get ice cream for dessert.

Maggy hopped, three steps at a time, down Oakley Avenue and chanted: “Hor! Cha! Ta! Hor! Cha! Ta! Hor! Cha! Ta!” Her routine was known to the brother and sister bartenders at the [Gallery Cabaret](http://www.gallerycabaret.com/), who smiled as she passed them on the sidewalk in front of their bar. They’d waved hello to Halla as she followed her daughter down the street.

“You guys want anything from Arturo’s or Margie’s? We’ll be back in a couple hours, probably.” Halla paused, ready to take their request.

“Nah, we’re good. Some buddies just came in with some pizzas from Pequod’s. Thanks!” The sister bartender looked down the street at Maggy. “See you later, alligator!”

Maggy stopped and spun around. “After a while crocodile!” She waited for Halla to catch up to her, taking her mother’s hand to continue their walk.

“Mama, tell me it again.” Maggy tugged on her mother’s hand as they rounded the corner from Oakley to Armitage.

“Maggy, I told you the story last night.”

“I forgot it.” Maggy peered up at her mother from under her bangs, a pleading look in her large brown eyes. “Please? I’m your favorite daughter.”

Halla laughed. “You’re my only daughter.” She leaned down to kiss the top of Maggy’s head. “You’re my owly daughter. Hoot!”

Maggy looked serious. “Now you’re being silly.”

Halla nodded. “Yes. Yes, I am.” She smiled.

“Once upon a time, a handsome prince with hair like golden fleece traveled to a far away place called The Windy City. He had been sent on a quest by his father the king to find the most delicious thing in the land and bring it back to the kingdom of Sweden.”

“Sweden! That’s where Papa’s from.”

“Yes, darling. It is. The prince tried many things. He ate a slice of pizza, and it was so delicious! But it upset his tummy. He tried Garrett’s Popcorn, which he loved because it was salty and sweet. But eating a big bag of it made him toot.”

“Toot! You said toot!” Maggy howled with glee, and Halla laughed with her.

“Yes, I did say ‘toot’. Because it made him toot. And it still does.” Halla giggled before continuing the story.

“The prince despaired, for the time to complete his quest was coming to an end. If he returned empty-handed, his father the king would make him eat nothing but pickled herring forever.”

“That’s a long time.” Maggy nodded. She squeezed her mother’s hand.

“The prince was about to give up when he met a shop girl. She was sweet and kind and, most importantly, she loved to eat as much as the prince did. The shop girl’s favorite food was hot dogs, but she was very poor, so she could only afford to eat a hot dog once a month on the full moon. On the last day of his quest, on the night of the full moon, she offered her one hot dog to him so that he might taste it and bring it back to his king. Being a prince, and finding himself struck by her beauty and generosity, he agreed to eat it but only as long as he could share it with her. When he bit into it, he declared that, while it was wonderful, the hot dog was only the second most delicious thing in The Windy City.”

“What was the first most delicious thing?”

“A kiss, a single kiss from the shop girl’s sweet lips.” Magnus pushed himself off the wall of Arturo’s, where he had been leaning, and finished his wife’s story for her.

“Papa!” Maggy ran into her father’s arms. He wrapped his arms tightly around her, lifted her briefly then set her back down. “Maggy, when did you get so tall? How did you get so strong?”

“I eat a lot of tacos.” Maggy nodded sagely.

Halla burst out laughing. “Yes, thank goodness.” She stood on tip-toe to kiss her husband on the lips. “Okay, chickens, there is an _al pastor burrito suizo_ in there with my name on it. Let’s go!” She pulled the door open to Arturo’s and stepped inside.

Magnus looked down at their daughter and winked. “You heard the shop girl - let’s eat!”

* * *

“What’s wrong?” Magnus looked at Halla, who sat beside him in booth 5. She was frowning at the _agua de jamaica_ in front of her.

“It tastes terrible. Why does it taste so bad today?” She picked up the drink and pushed it at him. “Here. You try it.”

“Of course. If something tastes terrible, make your husband drink it instead.” Magnus rolled his eyes, which made Maggy laugh. He took a sip. “It tastes fine. Sweet, as always.” He pushed the glass back at Halla and kissed her cheek.

Halla grimaced and shook her head. “Keep it. I’ll stick with water, I think.” She looked up and caught the eye of their favorite waitress. She held up the empty tortilla chip basket. “Un otro? Gracias, Miranda.”

“How many baskets of chips does that make?” Magnus started eating his last carnitas taco. When Halla didn’t answer, he looked at her, nearly flinching under her steely gaze.

“Five. And why are you counting?” She pouted. “The chips are really good today.”

“I wasn’t counting! I just thought, after the burrito, the first two basket of chips…”

“Which I shared! With you two!” Halla raised her eyebrows.

“And that lengua taco you got to chase the burrito…” Magnus faltered under his wife’s eye.

“Hmph.” Halla drummed her fingers on the table.

Maggy leaned forward and grabbed her mother’s hands. “Mama, what happened to your rings? Where’s the fox and the cat?”

Halla looked at her hands as though seeing them for the first time. She squeezed Maggy’s hands in hers. “Oh! They’re here.” She tugged on the chain around her neck, slipping it out from under her t-shirt to reveal the two rings that hung from it. “The rings weren’t fitting today so I put them here.” She tucked the chain back in. “Closer to my heart.”

“Ah! How wonderful.” Magnus looked at Halla wistfully. She rolled her eyes at him.

“Nice try, buddy. I must be retaining water. I should probably cut down on the salt.” Halla muttered. She perked up when Miranda set a fresh basket of tortilla chips in front of her. “Oooh chips! Thank you.” She dug in, not bothering to dip them in salsa before cramming them in her mouth.

* * *

“You know, you shouldn’t make Mama cross.”

Maggy and her father sat side by side in their favorite booth at Margie’s Candies, waiting for Halla to return from the restroom so they could place their order.

Magnus sighed and ruffled his daughter’s hair. “I know but I’m just concerned. If she ate too much Arturo’s, then she wouldn’t have any room in her tummy left for ice cream. And you know how Mama feels about her ice cream.”

Maggy nodded. “She loves it very much.” She squinted up at him. “Almost as much as she loves me.”

“And at this moment, probably more than she loves me.” Magnus crossed his eyes.

Maggy shook her head. “You’re too silly, Papa.”

They looked up when Halla slid into the seat across from them. She picked up a menu and studied it for a moment before slapping it down on the table.

“I know I always get the same thing but I do love reading this menu. Although…” Halla narrowed her eyes as she flipped through the pages. “Maybe I’ll get a grilled cheese sandwich.”

Magnus’s eyebrows flew up, nearly to his hairline. “But you hate the grilled cheese here. Doesn’t it make you ill?”

Halla ignored him, leaning over to tap at the buttons on the tabletop jukebox. She sighed. “What’s your point?”

Magnus leaned back. “Oh, no point. Just… I remembered that.” He looked down at Maggy, who returned her father’s gaze.

“But I like them.” Maggy nodded. “Mama can I have a bite of yours?”

Halla smiled, then reached out to touch her daughter’s cheek. “Of course you can. Always.”

“Okay, folks, what’ll it be?” Bobo the waiter, his bowtie crooked and his white shirt pressed, stepped up to take their order. He removed a golf pencil from behind his ear and waved it over his pad, ready to write.

“Raspberry sundae with an extra wafer cookie, please!” Maggy grinned up at Bobo, who scratched his temple and acted like he didn’t hear her before muttering “raspberry, extra cookie” and writing the order.

“Banana split with two scoops of butter pecan and one scoop rum raisin.” Magnus leaned back, scoffing when Halla shook her head. “What? It’s delicious.”

“Sure it is.” Halla smiled up at Bobo. “Hi Bobo, may I please have the chocolate marshmallow sundae? But can I get it with two extra scoops? And a side of hot fudge with extra wafers, and… a glass of Green River with no ice?”

Bobo whistled, then began to read the order back to them. “And a Green River. Is that all?” They nodded and Bobo took off.

Magnus repressed a laugh while Halla shot him a dirty look.

“Magnus, is something funny?”

“No, nothing. I’m just… ‘Is that all?’” He laughed. “Bobo’s delivery is impeccable.”

The silence that greeted him was deafening. Maggy squirmed in her seat and looked at her parents. Her mother was staring at her father, her eyes so dark they were almost black. Magnus looked a little less sure but returned Halla’s gaze without blinking. He reached out and took Halla’s hands in his. She didn’t lace her fingers through his, not like she did, usually. But she didn’t move her hands away either.

“Mama.” Maggy’s voice was hushed. “Are you mad at Papa?”

Halla’s face fell. She took her daughter’s hand in hers, pressed it to her lips to kiss it. Her eyes filled with tears. “No… oh my goodness, no. I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean… come here.”

Maggy wiggled under the table and came up on her mother’s side. She tucked herself into her mother’s side and sighed.

“I’m just, out of sorts, I guess. I’m a little tired but _so_ hungry. And I’m cross that my rings don’t fit, and my shoes.” Halla looked up at Magnus, and shrugged her shoulders. “And I guess I don’t  think Papa’s funny right now.”

Maggy shook her head. “He’s not funny a lot.”

“Hey!” Magnus was startled from his reverie, staring at the the two people he loved most in the world, by his daughter’s pronouncement. He frowned, which only made Maggy and Halla laugh. “But Mama’s right. I guess I’m not so funny right now.” He reached out and took Maggy’s hand in his left and Halla’s in his right. “I’m just a little concerned. I want Mama to feel better.”

Halla nodded. “I know you do. Thank you.” She kissed his fingers. “I love you.”

Magnus smiled. “I love you, too.”

Maggy looked up at her mother. “I love you… three?”

Halla kissed the top of her head. “Oh, buttercup, I love you so much.” She looked up and searched the room for Bobo. “I should probably change my order.”

“Too late for that, Ms. Halla.” Bobo appeared with their orders, the sundaes resplendent under layers of whipped cream and cherries and nuts in Margie’s signature conch shell dishes. There was barely room left for the pile of napkins Bobo dropped on the table before disappearing.

Halla smiled, then broke up one of her wafer cookies, handing pieces to her husband and daughter. Taking one herself, they toasted each other and began, once again, to eat. 

* * *

There was a lot of moaning from Halla -- first about being sick, then about being tired, then about being sick _and_ tired -- on the walk home from Margie’s, so Magnus put Maggy to bed himself.

“Want me to take Moomin out? I can just let him into the yard maybe…” Halla whimpered from the couch, where she lay, shoes off, in the dark.

Magnus grabbed the dog’s leash from the hook at the front door and walked to his wife. He kissed her forehead. “I got it. You rest.” He smiled down at her. “Back in a moment.” Whistling merrily, he summoned the dog and the two gentlemen of the Roque-Martinsson household stepped out for their evening constitutional.

Halla rubbed her belly and moaned softly. She rubbed her belly again and stopped to squeeze. “This food baby is gonna…” She sat up, looking down at her belly and frowning. She held her fingers out in front of her, noticing the swelling. She began to count on her fingers.

“Huh.” Halla walked down to the basement bathroom, where she began to dig among the spare packages of toilet paper, bandages, and soap. She found what she was looking for and turned it over in her hand. She looked upstairs, towards the front door, and bit her lip.

When Magnus and Moomin returned from their walk a few minutes later, they were greeted by Halla sitting on the porch. She had her legs crossed, one over the other, so Moomin hopped over them on his way back to his spot at the foot of Maggy’s bed. Magnus lifted his wife’s legs up, then eased them onto his lap as he took a seat beside her.

“Well?” He smiled at Halla who looked at him mischievously.

“What?” Halla smirked as his eyes flashed to her belly.

“Halla…” Magnus pleaded.

“Oh fine.” Halla reached into her pocket and withdrew a slim plastic stick, capped at one end, and handed it to him.

Magnus turned it over, studying it under the light of the full moon. He nodded and looked up at his beloved. His eyes were full of tears.

Halla scooted over and slipped an arm around his waist. “Oh Papa.” She kissed his cheek. “You big sap.”

Magnus nodded, then slipped his arms around Halla’s waist. He kissed her, deeply, his tongue caressing hers, making her moan.

“We’ll go see Dr. Benedict in a few weeks, confirm it.” Halla whispered.

Magnus nodded. “Of course. But you’re sure?”

Halla nodded. “Yeah. I’m sure.”

“You ready?”

Halla shook her head and laughed. “No, but we’ve got about nine months, give or take, to get ready.”

“She’s gonna lose her shit, when she finds out she’s going to be a big sister.” Magnus pressed his face into the crook of her neck.

“Yeah. She is.” Halla kissed his forehead. “I can’t wait.” She shivered.

Magnus tightened his grasp on her. “Bed?”

Halla nodded. “Bed, Jeeves.”

“I hate it when you call me that.”

“Okay. Bed, _Käraste_.” She kissed him again. “Bed.”


End file.
